Two goals, impressive numbers, and an unforgettable afternoon at Arena MRV. Tomás Cuello was one of the standout performers in Galo’s 3-0 win over Grêmio and, last Sunday, lived one of those days that help define a career.
The goals took the Argentine to six this season, matching his 2025 total. With another six assists, Cuello now has 12 direct goal contributions in 2026. For Atlético, he now has 78 matches, 64 as a starter, 12 goals, and 13 assists — 25 direct goal contributions since joining the club.
But Sunday afternoon cannot be explained by numbers alone. It is the result of a journey that began long before Cuello put on the Galo shirt.
To understand the player who now decides matches and receives the love of the Massa at Arena MRV, you have to go back a few years. Back to Tucumán, through his first experience in Brazilian football, and into a story that says a lot about the Argentine’s personality.
During the pandemic, while still playing for Red Bull Bragantino, Cuello had to leave Brazil and return to Argentina. When football resumed, he got the news that he had to return to the club. There were no flights available.
The solution he found with his father was to travel by car to the border at Foz do Iguaçu.
And it was there that the young Argentine had to take a step that symbolizes his very career.
With two suitcases in hand, Cuello crossed the border between Argentina and Brazil alone.
“I crossed on foot to live a dream here in Brazil. And in the end, it worked out,” he recalls.
That path, walked during the pandemic, was just one of the obstacles in a journey marked by choices, distance from family, losses, a serious ankle injury, and the frustration of missing out on a continental final.
Before reaching the sky at Arena MRV, Cuello had to know a few moments on the ground.
A dream that began in Tucumán
Cuello’s story in football began very early, in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina. It was at Atlético Tucumán that the forward took his first steps and started building a path that would take him to Argentina’s youth national teams.
The decision he considers most important for his career, however, came when he decided to leave the country.
“The most important thing was deciding to come to Brazil. When I came here, I wasn’t sure whether it was the right thing or not. It was more of a gamble — coming here, giving my all, and showing my football,” he says.
That gamble quickly turned into a new life.
Cuello arrived in Brazilian football while still young, initially linked to Red Bull Brasil. Later, he joined Red Bull Bragantino and began building his professional path in the country.
Then the pandemic came.
Back in Tucumán, not knowing when he would be able to return to Brazil, the forward kept himself prepared however he could. He trained in the backyard with his brother and a coach, and even ran on a family property to stay fit.
“I trained every day in the back of my house, with my brother and a coach. We used a farm and ran around it for fitness work,” he recalls.
Brazilian football returned, but flights were still a problem.
That was when the idea of going by land came up.
The trip to the border was made with his father and an uncle. From there, though, Cuello would have to continue alone.
“When we got to the border, there was a lot of control because there had to be health checks. I told my father, ‘Cross with me and leave me there.’ Then the border officer said the only one who could cross was me.”
The player picked up his two suitcases and began the walk.
“I think it was half an hour walking, with two suitcases, alone. There was nobody there and just forest all around.”
The scene remains in his memory.
“I crossed on foot to live a dream here in Brazil.”
Distance and resilience
Crossing the border ended up becoming a kind of symbol of a career that has required sacrifices from an early age.
In Brazil, Cuello spent long periods away from his parents and his wife. At one point, he went about seven months without having his family with him.
“Even though in football people say athletes make millions, for me going to Red Bull was a gamble,” he explains.
Distance also brought losses.
Cuello remembers spending one birthday alone in Bragança Paulista and, during that period, losing his grandfather. The experience made him see differently the time he spends with the people he loves.
“These stages of my life, since I arrived here in Brazil, made me learn to value much more the people around me, everyday life, and the time I spend here in football.”
When he needs to choose one word to define his journey so far, the answer comes quickly:
Resilience.
From Bragantino to Galo
At Bragantino, Cuello earned his place and was part of a campaign that ended with the club in the Copa Sudamericana final. After that, he moved to Athletico-PR, where he stayed for three seasons.
It was in Curitiba that his football gained even more recognition.
Then Galo came calling.
The offer came at a curious moment. After an exhausting season at Athletico, Cuello had decided to spend a few days resting with his wife and stay away from football news.
He was on an island when he got the message from his agent.
“My agent sent me a message and said: ‘An offer from Galo has come in.’”
Soon after, a coincidence caught his attention.
“A guy showed up wearing an Atlético Mineiro shirt.”
To Cuello, it seemed like one of those little signs that appear along the way.
“Those are the things from God that sometimes appear in life.”
The decision came later, calmly. And today, looking back, he is convinced he made the right choice.
Arrival at Atlético
In 2025, Cuello quickly earned his place.
He had 41 matches, 36 as a starter, six goals, and seven assists. Over the season, he became one of the squad’s main attacking pieces and won his first title with the club, the Campeonato Mineiro.
His relationship with the fans also grew.
But just when he was enjoying one of the best physical and technical moments of his time at Galo, his journey was interrupted.
“My leg didn’t hurt, but my heart did”
Photo: Pedro Souza / Atlético
In La Paz, against Bolívar, Cuello suffered a serious ankle injury.
The forward had found his place and felt he was in a great moment.
“In those first six months I had felt very good physically and technically. That was when I felt most comfortable. On the pitch I was finding my place. And then that happens, something that leaves a mark.”
The injury immediately raised concern about the rest of the season.
But the emotional pain was even greater.
“I’ll be honest: my leg didn’t hurt, but my heart hurt a little.”
Cuello decided he would do everything within his power to return in 2025.
The dream of playing in the final
Atlético advanced in the Copa Sudamericana and secured a place in the final. While his teammates prepared for the final, Cuello sped up his recovery.
After qualification, he spoke with physiotherapist Guilherme and set a goal.
“I’m going to dedicate myself as much as possible to see if I can make it. And if I can’t, I’ll be at peace knowing I gave it my all.”
The hope lasted until the final moments.
Cuello even traveled to be with the team, but was unable to be on the pitch.
And the frustration grew after the loss in the final.
“The feeling was more sadness for not being able to help my teammates, and also because we lost a final that I think we deserved.”
Even unable to play, he tried to contribute in another way.
“I wanted to pass on positive energy to my teammates so they could lift that trophy.”
It did not happen.
But that experience also left its marks.
A before and after
Cuello returned to playing at the end of 2025, against Vasco, but the comeback did not mean the immediate end of the injury’s effects.
The first half of 2026 was still marked by some discomfort in his ankle.
It was during the mid-season break that the forward found an important opportunity to recover his physical condition and work on traits he considers essential to his game.
“I used that break to get myself into better physical shape, which is one of the characteristics of my game, and to improve a few things.”
The result shows up in the numbers, but for him, the most important number is another one: progress.
“I think I still have much more to give. I still have much more to learn. I want to keep improving.”
The sky of Arena MRV
Photo: Pedro Souza / Atlético
After the decisive goal against Bragantino, a club that is part of his story, Cuello had a special afternoon against Grêmio.
Two goals.
A 3-0 win.
And an Arena MRV in full celebration.
But Cuello himself refuses to treat this moment as a finish line.
“Football changes from one second to the next and we can’t relax. I’m not the kind of guy who will stop here, who will settle for what I’ve been doing. I’ll go for more.”
It is an attitude that seems to connect directly with everything he has lived through.
The player who crossed a border alone during the pandemic, who spent months away from his family, who faced losses, who went down in La Paz, and who watched from the outside a final he wished he could have played, now celebrates goals in front of the Massa.
The road between those moments was long.
The dance of every day
After the goals against Grêmio, Cuello revealed that one of his favorite songs is “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”, by Bad Bunny.
The song talks about memories, meaningful relationships, and moments that remain even after they have passed.
For Cuello, the song ended up finding a particular meaning in his own journey.
The distance from his family, the difficulties of the pandemic, crossing the border, the losses, and the injury taught the Argentine to value more what he has today.
“When I got injured, sometimes we complain. Athletes complain about too many games, too many games. But when that happens, you say: ‘I want to play again.’ Why? Because you’re not playing.”
The conclusion came in a word that appears again.
“Valuing what I have today comes from everything I’ve been through.”
Cuello learned to value the present.
“I try to value everyday life here.”
And in the song itself, he found a line that sums up the way he chose to live this stage of his career:
“Life is a party that ends one day.”
That is why every match matters. Every training session matters. Every moment with family matters.
And every opportunity to wear Atlético’s shirt matters too.
“I’m very happy to be here.”
On the other side of that border, a young Argentine carried two suitcases and a dream.
At Arena MRV, years later, Cuello found a place to live the dream he decided to chase.
And he still wants more.
“I still have a lot to give. I’ll keep trying to improve.”
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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.